Management of Powdery Mildew of Cucumber with
Nettle (Urtica dioica L.) Extracts

T. B. Sapkota, N. N. Khanal, U. Kattel

There is now growing awareness about the hazards of chemical pesticides and the search of eco-friendly options for pest management is in motion. An on-farm experiment was conducted on the farmers' fields at Galeshwor, Myagdi to assess the efficacy of nettle extracted in water and cattle urine in controlling powdery mildew of cucumber. The crops were grown with farmers' practice and different treatments were applied as foliar spray on the crop. The plot sprayed with 20% solution of fresh nettle extract with urine resulted in the lowest area under powdery mildew progress curve (AUDPC) followed by the plot sprayed with 20% urine. The control plot had highest AUDPC value on an average. The plot sprayed with the 20% solution of fermented nettle extract in water yielded the highest (37.50 ton/ha) followed by the plots sprayed with fresh nettle extracts in water, while the yield was lowest (13.61 ton/ha) in control plot. The results of this study indicated that nettle extract sprays could be very much benign for cucumber with its properties of suppressing powdery mildew disease, invigorating crop growth, and hastening flowering and fruiting. In the light of costs and returns associated with the sprays, the return stream drastically outweighs the cost and hence nettle extract spray is recommended for the spring crop of cucumber.

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